ANIMAL MODEL IN PRECLINICAL RERSEARCH FOR ANTIPSYCHOTIC

Preclinical animal models have a fundamental role in the discovery and development of antipsychotic drugs. These models enable researchers to assess efficacy, safety, pharmacodynamics and mechanisms of action before the human clinical trials begin. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are complex neuropsychiatric phenomena and involve multiple disturbance of dopaminergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic, neurodevelopmental and inflammatory pathways. Due to the ethical and practical constraints for conducting experimental studies in humans, animal models are a necessary tool in translational psychiatry research. Various pharmacological, genetic, neurodevelopmental and behavioural models have been created to simulate various aspects of schizophrenia. Common models are amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, apomorphine-induced climbing behavior, phencyclidine (PCP)-induced psychosis, conditioned avoidance response (CAR) and prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits. These models help distinguish between normal and abnormal antipsychotics as well as extrapyramidal side effects. Although currently, none of the models have an exact reproducibility of human schizophrenia, the combination of validated models enhances predictive accuracy and correlation with human conditions. Ethical compliance and adherence to regulatory guidelines further helps to increase scientific reliability. Continuous improvement of these models is important to the development of safer and more effective antipsychotic therapies.